The Enid News and Eagle, Enid, OK

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Discussion

June 24, 2008

PEGASYS bylaw change to aid flexibility

By Robert Barron, Staff Writer

PEGASYS board members Tuesday approved a bylaw change that will allow them to be more flexible in selecting members in the future.

The change encourages the board to look at current member organizations and who wants to be on the board of the public-access television station, rather than who is appointed by their organizations.

Executive Direc-tor Wendy Quarles and community ac-cess coordinator Stephanie Wnetrzak presented nine categories to the group. The change will allow all current board members to remain but allow PEGASYS to handpick future members based on the needs of the organization. The number of members will remain at 14.

The change establishes categories and the number of members from each, including: Enid Public Schools, one; Enid City Commission, one; Suddenlink Cable, one; Greater Enid Chamber of Commerce, one; general PEGASYS membership, one; minority group, two; nonprofit organizations, one; higher education/CareerTech, two; and members of the public, four.

Board members also are discussing ways to be more flexible in fundraising.

“We were created to be funded by the franchise fee, be-cause that’s what it was created to do,” Quarles said. “When the franchise fee became a reality, the city decided to use it for a like enterprise. It was not planned we would have to do a lot on our own.”

The city commission has siphoned off some PEGASYS funding for economic development and other purposes in recent years. Some PEGASYS members fear the city eventually will take all of the franchise fee money, which would result in closing the television station.

“We want to see if we can start providing services people would want to purchase,” Quarles said.

Among the plans are continuing to sell copies of graduations and ball games. She said game DVDs have been used to help obtain athletic scholarships. People also want high school graduation and game DVDs as mementos. Quarles said PEGASYS also can record public-service announcements for companies and different nonprofit groups, which hopefully will make a donation.

Quarles also mentioned documentaries of events, dance recitals and concerts.

“PEGASYS can do any type of fundraising we want to do, but we have to remember we are a small staff, and if the community wants to support the staff we have, they must make things possible for a small staff to do” she said.

The PEGASYS board also voted to renew Quarles’ contract for another year at the same salary and benefits.

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